Aaron Boone spoke to reporters earlier today as the Yankees are starting to formulate their rotation for the upcoming ALCS series against the winner of the Guardians-Tigers ALDS. One certainty was that Gerrit Cole would get the ball in Game 2 as the Yankees wanted him starting on normal rest for his first appearance of the best-of-seven series. After a gem in Game 4 of the ALDS where Cole fired seven innings of one-run ball, he’ll get a chance to pitch in front of the Bronx crowd and the Yankees hope to improve to 3-0 in games started by the reigning AL Cy Young winner.
The question lies in who they’ll pitch in Game 1, as Aaron Boone has narrowed the pool of options for this matchup to just two starters.
Gerrit Cole Will Start in Game 2, Yankees Still Unsure On Game 1 Starter
Gerrit Cole allowed four runs across 12 innings of work in the ALDS and dating back to this past August, he has a 2.38 ERA across 12 starts, posting a 0.99 WHIP and allowing just three home runs. He’s mixing things up more than he has at any point of his career, as over that timespan he’s thrown six different pitches and has a wOBA below .300 on all of them.
The Yankees have needed their ace to be dominant, and he’s been precisely that over a critical stretch of their season, which they hope will extend into late October. By giving him the ball in Game 2, it ensures he pitches on normal rest and will set him up to pitch again on normal rest in Game 6 at the Bronx.
As for who gets the ball in Game 1, Aaron Boone revealed that it’s between Clarke Schmidt and Carlos Rodon, who pitched in the ALDS and had mixed results in their lone outings.
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Carlos Rodon looked dialed in through his first three frames of Game 2 before the wheels came off and the Royals scored four runs against him. The Yankees are hoping his swing-and-miss stuff can translate in October, especially after a second-half where he posted a sub-3.00 ERA and struck out 30% of batters faced. If the Yankees wanted to play matchups, he might profile well against the Detroit Tigers.
While Detroit went 21-12 in games where their opponent started a LHP, their offense produced a horrific 88 wRC+ against southpaws with a .298 OBP. Even when you filter out players currently not on the ALDS roster, their 97 wRC+ and 25.9% K% should bode well for someone like Carlos Rodon. If it’s Cleveland who the Yankees face, then Schmidt could be a more logical choice.
Clarke Schmidt was solid in his first postseason outing, which came in the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the Royals in Game 3, and he could be a good foil for the Guardians. While Cleveland had a league-best 29-11 record against LHP with their active roster having a combined 123 wRC+, their numbers against RHP are not as promising.
With a 98 wRC+ and .392 SLG%, the Guardians struggle to do much of anything against right-handers, which could play to Schmidt’s advantage. Cleveland has a league-worst .205 wOBA against right-handed cutters with a 26.1% Whiff Rate, and that’s the most reliable pitch in Clarke Schmidt’s arsenal. He would be the logical choice for a Game 1 start if the Guardians were to advance.
Boone ruled out Luis Gil for a Game 1 start, saying that the Yankees would use him later in the series as a starter, which could mean he’s getting the start in Game 4 on the road.